as in to kill time
to spend time doing nothing
returned home unannounced and found the au pair goofing off
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goof (off)
Noun
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Creators Michael Jacobs and April Kelly imbued endless love into the life story of Cory Matthews (Ben Savage): a witty neurotic who grew from a slacker sixth grader into a full-on family man across the series seven seasons and 158 episodes on ABC.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
20 May 2025 -
The most compelling evidence to debunk the myth that parents are slackers comes from a work team study.—
Lieke ten Brummelhuis,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Athletic has a story filled with tables of draft picks by schools and conferences. USC immediately stands out as an underachiever.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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Enough results had been collected to ensure the Championship’s perennial underachievers began the day sitting most comfortably but tension was still a travel companion on the 40-mile trip to the East Midlands.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Verb
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And while humans tend to veg out on the couch, canines typically only watch for short periods.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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Making the choice to be social is especially difficult at the end of an exhausting day when your impulse may be to veg out on the couch.—
Allie Volpe,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
Verb
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Plenty of those 3s came after Gilgeous-Alexander or others throttled downhill, then kicked back out for open looks.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
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Bag a spot on the beach at Cala Saona or the kick back with a cold caña (beer) at the chiringuito (beach bar).—
Isabelle Kliger,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Verb
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Patio mats can also make the pool more comfortable for lounging, and create a soft base for toddlers or small children to play on.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 June 2025
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While the building is meant as a nod to the land’s agricultural roots, this one is for play rather than work: It’s set up for lounging and dining inside, with a wet bar for mixing up drinks and an outdoor fire pit perfect for making s’mores.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Sizes Tablecloths should hang about 8-16 inches on each side for formal dining and about 3-6 inches on each side for casual dining.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
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Most asteroids hang about in the Mars to Jupiter region, and the ones near Earth obviously hang about a bit closer.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
2 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Jacob Beam’s Impact on Bourbon Jacob’s success rested on careful craftsmanship.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
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The government is expected to rest its case as early as Monday (June 23), with the defense possibly wrapping up by midweek.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Get our daily newsletter Yet Mr Schwarzman avoids footling with life’s foot-soldiers for a reason.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
19 Sep. 2019
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Last year an American startup called Swarm Technologies paid a footling $900,000 fine for sending four tiny satellites into orbit on an Indian rocket, having been denied permission to do so by the US Federal Communications Commission.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
17 July 2019
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Cite this Entry
“Goof (off).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goof%20%28off%29. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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